Studies on the genetic control of antibody affinity: the independent control of antibody levels and affinity in Biozzi mice.

The levels (Abt) and relative affinity (KR) of antibody produced to protein antigens injected in saline have been measured in the 22nd generation of the Biozzi high (Ab/H) and low (Ab/L) antibody-producing mice. No significant differences in affinity were observed between the two lines of mice (p 0.10) but the levels of antibody (Abt) differed significantly (p 0.0025) when immunized with antigen in saline; however, both Ab/H and Ab/L mice were able to mount a high affinity response to protein antigens injected in Freund's complete adjuvant. These results substantiate earlier observations that in mice, antibody affinity (KR) and antibody level (Abt) are under independent genetic control.